Critics were quick to express their anger and disappointment with the ad after Hell Pizza posted a picture of it on Facebook.

"This is sick. Do what you want in your shop, sell whatever, that's your business... but to put this up on a billboard at Easter when a whole lot of children are so excited about the Easter BUNNY coming to visit, that's just messed up on a whole other level," a commenter wrote.

"This is disgusting. Absolutely vile," another added.

The New Zealand Vegetarian Society said that, while it approves the chain's vegan and vegetarian pizzas and "can appreciate Hell's humor," it can't get behind the rabbit skin billboard.

The pizza chain later updated its photo caption to provide background information.

"As well as being a delicious meat, and even quite cute, rabbits are unfortunately also a noted pest that is damaging to the New Zealand environment, particularly in the South Island," Hell's Pizza wrote. "For those who are concerned, we sourced these rabbit skins via a professional animal tanning company, who in turn sourced them from local meat processing companies where the skins are a regular by-product."

The chain also explained that it uses wild rabbit meat from Southland and Otago for its pizzas, which are made with toasted pine nuts, cream cheese and rosemary.

On Wednesday, the New Zealand Vegetarian Society offered a more positive take on the billboard.

"While people insist on eating animals, using wild South Island rabbits (which Hell has confirmed they are) who are causing significant environmental damage is perhaps a more ethical choice than farming an animal to turn into food," it wrote. "The billboard, though confrontational and offensive to many, did not create any further harm to animals."